Grand Prix 2023 Japanese Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

The fly away races are now in full swing, and after the blip in Singapore I think we can probably expect Max and Red Bull to reimpose themselves on the 2023 F1 season. You will know that the Japanese love motor racing. They produced engines which have changed the sport. Their huge motor industry has dabbled in making cars, with variable levels of success, and there have been a number of Japanese F1 drivers, none of which has ever won an F1 race.

For something a bit different, here's a story about a Japanese F1 team I suspect many of you will have not heard of, Kojima Engineering.

Matsuhisa Kojima was a motocross rider in Japan. As well as being involved with motor sport he also imported bananas, from which he amassed a sizeable fortune which he used to fund a small engineering business building single seater race cars. This was at the height of the garagiste era in F1, when you could buy a competitive engine from Cosworth, bolt it to a chassis, and go motor racing.

At the Japanses GP in 1976 Kojima unveiled the KE007 (interesting car Mr Bond), driven by Masahiro Hasemi. In the first qualifying session he was 4th fastest (they had two sessions on a Friday and Saturday back then) before he binned it in the second session and the car had to be rebuilt. Hasemi eventually started 10th. You will know that this was a very wet race, won by Mario Andretti. The Kojima car finished 11th and was initially credited with fastest lap. Ther were problems with the timing system and this was eventually awarded to Jacques Laffite in the Ligier.

1695299595344.png


At the Japanese race in 1977 two Kojima KE009's were entered, one by Kojima Engineering the other by Hero's racing. The Kojima car was retired after running over debris whilst the Hero car went on to finish 11th.

Kojima never entered another international race, concentrating on making F2 cars for the Japanese series. Can you imagine in modern F1 a team being allowed to build a car to only enter one round of the championship? Sadly I doubt this will ever happen again.

This is the timing for Sky's coverage in the UK. It's an early start if you want to watch it live. I'd wait and see what happens in practice myself, as another Red Bull walk over isn't really worth setting an early alarm for now is it?

1695299980243.png
 
Last edited:
yeah, the long runs seemed extremely depressing 6 tenths quicker than anyone. although is it red bull thats better than everyone or is it verstappen because perez is 6th fastest on long runs a second slower
1695395855722.png
 
Catering budget Racing seem to have this race in Japan won already.
maybe, but i guess that results you get when you dont ignore a 7 time world champion who called for the current design a year ago, yet carried on with a doomed design for a 2nd season & then completely wrote off your 2023 season after the 1st qualifying of the season.

red bull broke the rules undoubtedly but mercedes have been so bad they helped red bull to dominate far more than FIA
 
Brilliant from Mclaren & piastri showing his talent again. alpine losing piastri & alonso on the same day, might be the biggest bit of incompetence i can remember in F1

1695464205572.png
 
Last edited:
youve got to hand it to verstappen that was outstanding 6 tenths quicker than anyone, but he obviously cant take a joke as its like he's & the team come to japan to prove a point, what point who knows because he's dominated the season since end of april having just won 10 races in row

but as good as verstappen was perez was terrible, when max is doing that but your 5th 8 tenths off, he should be thankful that there is no big drivers to replace him & that mclaren has become as good as it is. because if mclaren were still struggle to get out Q1. perez wouldve been dumped for norris by now. i just cant see how in any way perez stays at red bull beyond 2024
 
I am more and more convinced that it is not the driver, but the car.

Specifically, that Perez's is not configured the same as Verstapen's. That Verstapen's has 'a little extra' somewhere.

I would be very interested to see what they could do in each other's car.

(This is just my opinion - others are free to disagree.)
 
Splash im sure the car is designed more to verstappen liking because like anyone down the years the car will be designed for better driver. but 8 tenths is a big gap & red bull im sure want to be 1-2 not 1-5
 
After that qualifying, once again we have to ask what the point of Perez is…
I am more and more convinced that it is not the driver, but the car.

Specifically, that Perez's is not configured the same as Verstapen's. That Verstapen's has 'a little extra' somewhere.

I would be very interested to see what they could do in each other's car.

(This is just my opinion - others are free to disagree.)
I’m not sure why it is so hard to believe that Verstappen could be that much better than Perez… (or what the incentive would be for Red Bull to deliberately hobble one of their drivers).

Every so often, you get a generational talent. Verstappen is one of those. Whether you like it or not, he is a very special driver! In much the same way as Senna, Clark, Schumacher, Hamilton, Fangio…
 
I am more and more convinced that it is not the driver, but the car.

Specifically, that Perez's is not configured the same as Verstapen's. That Verstapen's has 'a little extra' somewhere.

I would be very interested to see what they could do in each other's car.

(This is just my opinion - others are free to disagree.)
The cars are basically the same, but they are set up differently, according to each driver's preference.
 
Yes and no. Often the car is designed to suit a driving style and, of course, Red Bull will build it to suit Max. No amount of set up changes will alter the fundamental way the car performs. I recall an interview with Jody Schecketr, who said that the Tyrrell designed for Jackie Stewart was. form his perspective, almost un-driveable as his style was so different to Stewarts.
 
Sigh ...

The car is the most dominant car in F1 history.
It has been designed to suit Verstappen.
Perez is a seat filler.

I will never be convinced that Verstappen isn't someone who was just in the right place at the right time until I see him beat a world class driver in the same car.

Twice.
 
oh perez what a disaster. dreadful start, overtaking people under safety car entering & leaving the pits. then impatiently crashes into magnussen. in a gap that was always going to close

we know theres no team orders at mercedes.
 
Back
Top Bottom